Sean Price – Kimbo Price (Artwork)

Looks like Sean Price’s Kimbo Price has been scheduled for an October 27, 2009 release! The mixtape, which serves as the prelude to Sean Price’s Mic Tyson album, will feature guest appearances from Rock of Heltah Skeltah, Ruste Juxx, Torae, Skyzoo, Royce Da 5′9″, and Poison Pen, as well as production from PF Cuttin’. Props to my homie Fred Bear!

R.I.P. Roc Raida (1972 – 2009)

Another hip hop icon has passed away, and way too soon at that. Rest In Paradise Roc Raida… you will surely be missed, though I know you’re gonna get things poppin’ in Heaven. Here’s the official statement from his family, which gives insight into his unexpected death.

“Anthony Williams p/k to the world as The Legendary Grandmaster Roc Raida has passed away unexpectedly today September 19 2009. He is survived by his wife, three lovely daughters, mother and friends. Raida was recently in an mixed martial arts accident, something that he has been practicing for several years. Although he had under gone two surgeries with great success, was released to an inpatient physical therapy facility and was in great spirits the past few days. This morning he started to have complications and passed. The family asks for privacy at this time.” (via HipHopDX)

I think its important that the world remembers him for his excellence, and with that said, check the videos below of Roc Raida.

Jay-Z – Blueprint 3 Tracklist

Jay-Z has released the long anticipated tracklist for his upcoming Blueprint 3 album. The tracklist includes features from Alicia Keys, Mr. Hudson, Kanye West, Rihanna, Drake, J. Cole, Kid Cudi, and others. Looks like Jay-Z is giving the next generation of artists some shine, but no Nas? Ehhh.. Check the tracklist below.

01-What We Talkin’ About (feat. Luke Steele (of Empire Of The Sun))
02-Thank You
03-D.O.A. (Death Of Auto-Tune)
04-Run This Town (feat. Rihanna and Kanye West)
05-Empire State (feat. Alicia Keys)
06-Real As It Gets (feat. Young Jeezy)
07-On To The Next One (feat. Swizz Beatz)
08-Off That (feat. Drake)
09-A Star Is Born (feat. J. Cole)
10-Venus Vs. Mars
11-Already Home (feat. KiD CuDi)
12-Hate (feat. Kanye West)
13-Reminder
14-So Ambitious (feat. Pharrell)
15-Young Forever (feat. Mr. Hudson)

Saigon – Warning Shots 2 Album Cover

The official album front cover artwork for Saigon’s Warning Shots 2 album/mixtape, which is slated to drop on September 29, 2009 on Amalgam Digital. Warning Shots 2 will feature production from Just Blaze, Scram Jones, and Saigon (huh?), as well as guest appearances from OJ Da Juiceman (huh?), Grand Puba, and more. Greatest Story Never Told… who knows when?!

Skyzoo – The Salvation Cover and Tracklist

Skyzoo has released the official press release, cover and tracklist for his upcoming album, The Salvation. The Salvation will be released on Jamla Records / Duckdown Records on September 29, 2009. I gotta say, the album cover for The Salvation is one of my favorite album covers for 2009. Check the tracklist, and then the press release follows. Take note, aside from Carlitta Durand, Skyzoo seems to have ZERO features on this album, which could be considered his debut. With no features and an all-star production team, The Salvation is reminiscent of hmmm… I won’t dare say it til we hear the final product.

1. The Opener (produced by Cyrus Tha Great)
2. Return Of The Real (produced by Just Blaze)
3. The Beautiful Decay (produced by 9th Wonder)
4. My Interpretation (produced by Best Kept Secret)
5. Popularity (produced by Nottz)
6. Like A Marathon (produced by 9th Wonder)
7. The Shooter’s Soundtrack (produced by Cyrus Tha Great)
8. Under Pressure (produced by 9th Wonder)
9. Penmanship (produced by Black Milk)
10. Dear Whoever (produced by Illmind)
11. For What It’s Worth ((produced by Eric G)
12. The Necessary Evils (produced by Needlz)
13. Easy To Fly featuring Carlitta Durand (produced by 9th Wonder)
14. Bottom Line (produced by Eric G)
15. Metal Hearts (produced by 9th Wonder)
16. Maintain (produced by Nottz)

Press Release

Brooklyn-raised emcee Skyzoo is here to remind Hip Hop fans that the music can still be true to life and heartfelt. With numerous Mix CDs on his resume, most recently, The Power of Words with DJ Drama and Statik Selektah, Skyzoo is currently preparing his first national full-length LP, “The Salvation,” in stores September 29th, via Jamla Records/Duck Down.

The Salvation will be set apart from Skyzoo’s previous Mix CD releases in various ways, however Skyzoo explains that “it’s another constant sign of elevation and growth, and it’s the most personal work I’ve ever done.” Although in the past he has released records such as “The Bodega,” “Stop Foolin’ Yourself,” and “Extreme Measures,” which were all true to life, Skyzoo promises that they will not reach the personal extent that the tracks on The Salvation will bring to listeners. Songs such as “For What It’s Worth” and “Metal Hearts” help contribute to the feeling that Skyzoo expects his audience to have; that their $15 was well spent on the album, they could relate to it, and that the project will stand the test of time.

A tactic taken by Skyzoo to emphasize the personal aspect of The Salvation was to not load the album up with features from other rappers. He states, “The moment you pick up a pen or start rhyming as a kid, all you think about is getting an album out. This album isn’t exactly the way I planned it out at 9-years-old, but it tells my story. With that being said, no one can help tell my story better than me. The Salvation is about me.”

Alongside the extremely personal element of The Salvation comes the conceptual side of the project. Theme was the name of the game for Skyzoo’s debut album, and this is evidenced in how the production was handled. According to Skyzoo, “it wasn’t really a ‘who’s hot, who’s not’ type of thing. It was more so ‘just get what sounds right.’ I got a lot of big name producers, and I also got a lot of up and comers.” Included in the production credits for The Salvation are Washington D.C.-based production team Best Kept Secret (who work in-house for Wale), Seattle’s Eric G (who some may recognize as providing a few beats to Torae), and Cyrus tha Great, as well as 9th Wonder, Nottz (who produced the single “Popularity”), Just Blaze, Illmind, Needlz and Black Milk.

Fans have seen a sneak peek of Skyzoo’s first LP in the form of a video for a track entitled “Beautiful Decay,” produced by 9th Wonder. The video is directed by Artemus Jenkins, and sets out to reflect life in the various boroughs of New York.

Raekwon – Only Built 4 Cuban Linx 2 Tracklist

The Hip Hop Chronicle UK was given the first opportunity to review Only Built 4 Cuban Linx 2 by Raekwon, which you can check out here. The review also confirmed the tracklist for the album, which can be found below. Only Built 4 Cuban Linx 2 looks like its going to be absolutely crazy.

Tracklisting for Only Built 4 Cuban Linx 2

01. Return To The North Star (Feat. Papu Wu) (Interlude)
(Prod. Bt)
02. House of Flying Daggers (Feat. Inspectah Deck, Ghostface Killah & Method Man)
(Prod. J-Dilla)
03. Sonny’s Missing
(Prod. Pete Rock)
04. Pyrex Vision
(Prod. Marley Marl)
05. Cold Outside (Feat. Suga Bang & Ghostface Killah)
(Prod. Atl)
06. Godfather (Feat. Inspectah Deck)
(Prod. Rza)
07. New Wu (Feat. Method Man & Ghostface Killah)
(Prod. Rza)
08. Penitentiary (Feat. Ghostface Killah)
(Prod. Bt)
09. Criminology 09 (Feat. Ghostface Killah)
(Prod. Bt & Rza)
10. Fat Lady Sings
(Prod. Rza)
11. Canal Street
12. 10 Bricks (Feat. Cappadonna & Ghostface Killah)
(Prod. J-Dilla)
13. G-hide (Feat. Ghostface Killah)
(Prod. Negro)
14. Rockstar (Feat. Inspectah Deck & Gza)
(Prod. Rza)
15. Catalina (Feat. Busta Ryhmes)
(Prod. Dr. Dre)
16. 40 Deuce (Feat. Jadakiss & Styles P)
(Prod. Scram Jones)
17. Walk Wit Me
(Prod. Scram Jones)
18. We Will Rob You (Feat. Slick Rick, Gza & Masta Killah)
(Prod. Allah Justice)
19. Have Mercy (Feat. Beanie Sigel)
20. Surgical Gloves
(Prod. The Alchemist)
21. Nigga Me
(Prod. Dr. Dre)
22. Mean Streets (Feat. Inspectah Deck)
(Prod. Allah Mathematics)
23. Kiss The Ring (Feat. Inspectah Deck & Masta Killah)
(Prod. Scram Jones)
24. Ason Jones
(Prod. J-Dilla)

Buckshot and KRS-One – Survival Skills Cover

KRS-One and Buckshot announce Survival Skills, which will be in stores September 15, 2009. The album Survival Skills will feature Mary J. Blige, Atmosphere, Immortal Technique, Talib Kweli, and more.

KRS-One and Buckshot, two of hip hop music’s most prolific MCs have linked up on a collaborative album entitled Survival Skills. Survival Skills will be released on Duck Down Records on September 15, 2009, and the duo will be featured on the Rock The Bells tour this summer. Survival Skills features guests ranging from Mary J. Blige, Slug Of Atmosphere, K‚ÄôNAAN, Talib Kweli, Immortal Technique, Melanie Fiona, Naledge of Kidz In The Hall, Sean Price, Geo of Blue Scholars, Smif N Wessun and Rock of Heltah Skeltah. Survival Skills represents a diverse range of topics, all while maintaining a consistent sound. The album has production from Havoc of Mobb Deep, 9th Wonder, Black Milk, ILL MIND, Coptic, Moss, Nottz, Marco Polo, and KHRYSIS.

On the surface the album is a testament to the resiliency of two lyrical titans, but at its root Survival Skills is a blueprint for life. For instance on the infectious head-nodder “Robot,” which was released 6 weeks prior to Jay Z’s “The Death Of Auto Tune” track, and already available World Wide at Digital Retail Shops, such as iTunes, the duo speak-out against the recent overuse of the Auto-Tune vocal effect in urban music, but under the surface the message is much deeper. “I don’t want people to get the averaged clichéd version and thinking that we’re dissing people,’” Buckshot clarifies. “What we’re calling out here is the biters, the people that feel like because this guy sold X amount of records doing this, that I’m going to turn around and do it as well,” KRS says of the array of artists who have followed in the creative footsteps of Roger Troutman, Afrikka Bambatta, Teddy Riley and T-Pain. Despite its heavy message, sonically the track, produced by Mobb Deep’s Havoc, is as inviting as anything on the radio today. The video for “ROBOT,” directed by Todd Angkaswan, has been added into rotation at MTV & BET. The track has also been included in the sound track for Activision’s upcoming Tony Hawk skate game in stores this Fall.

Coincidently, ROBOT is not the first example of where Jay Z has released similar material and concepts from KRS-ONE & BUCKSHOT. In 2003, Buckshot’s group Black Moon recorded a song called “Stay Real,” which was, again, released 6 weeks prior to Jay Z’s “Public Service Announcement‚Äù track, that ironically contained the same sample as Black Moon‚Äôs “Stay Real.” A couple years prior to this Jay Z released “THE BLUEPRINT,” which was the same title used by KRS-ONE in his classic album, Boogie Down Productions “Ghetto Music: The BLUEPRINT of Hip Hop.”

Gritty tracks like Clean Up, featuring Rock of Heltah Skeltah, and the politically minded Running Away, featuring Immortal Technique, make Survival Skills a Hip-Hop fan’s dream, catering to those that love lyrics and the boom-bap. Equally as rich is the album’s Black Milk-produced track, The Way I Live, featuring the Queen of hip-hop soul, Mary J. Blige. Together they create a triumphant anthem for all those on the grind trying to conquer their dreams. The song’s summery feel and soothing melodies make it an instant hit.

KRS-ONE & BUCKSHOT Upcoming Tour Dates: Rock The Bells

Washington, DC – Sunday July 12th
Merriweather Post Pavilion

Boston, MA – Saturday July 18th
Comcast Center

New York, NY – Sunday July 19th
Jones Beach Theater

Vancouver, BC, CAN – Saturday August 1st
Deer Lake Park

Calgary, AB, CAN – Sunday August 2nd
Shaw Millennium Park

Denver, CO – Thursday August 6th
Red Rocks Amphitheatre

Los Angeles, CA – Saturday August 8th
San Manuel Amphitheatre

San Francisco, CA – Sunday August 9th
Shoreline Amphitheatre

Next Page »